World

Syrian Civil War Devastating Farmland

Explosions not good for the crops

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Syria's civil war has ravaged vital infrastructure and halved output of staple crops, the United Nations said on Wednesday, as a 22-month conflict hardened by sectarian rivalry showed no sign of abating.

What began as a peaceful protest movement against President Bashar al-Assad has killed more than 60,000 people, devastated the economy and left 2.5 million people hungry.

Prospects of a negotiated peace have receded as the war becomes more overtly sectarian, making Western powers more wary of supporting the largely Sunni Muslim—and increasingly radicalized—rebellion.